How low our expectations have fallen. I thought Obama did great. Nonetheless, I was struck by the number of comments at Americablog about how refreshing it was to see a president speak in well formed sentences, strung together to form coherent thoughts. Don’t get me wrong. It was refreshing. But how sad is it for us that we have grown to expect anything less.
On another, but related note, I am begining to believe more and more that my wistful hope that Obama is thinking long term is going to turn out to be true. I thought he did a good job of making the Republicans look bad, while being perfectly respectful of them, at least on the surface.
I really wish, however, that he would be a little more forceful on the torture issue. But then again, maybe he believes that’s an issue where he can lead most effectively from behind. Franklin Roosevelt once, or perhaps many times, told groups advocating various reforms that he agreed with them and would like to do what they wanted. His advice to those groups: make me do it. Maybe this is an issue where Obama needs and wants us to make him do it. After all, he never quite closes the door.
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